Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Residents of Enugu State have expressed different reasons for not protesting on the streets across the state.
In separate interviews with the Ikengaonline, some of the residents said that Igbos have always been at the receiving end in any national protest in the past.
The Chairman of Enugu State Guild of Public Affairs Analysts, Dr Ambrose Igboke, said Igbos have learned their lessons based on past experiences.
“Each time there is protests on national malaise, they are at the receiving end.
“Their properties are vandalised; they are victimised and sometimes maimed and lose their means of livelihood; they are made to face the law while others go free,” he said.
He said these were some of the reasons why this time around they chose to either remain at home or carryout skeletal businesses.
In a related development, a human rights activist, Anayo Eze, said Igbos had no reason to join the protest.
“Why should we join protest, we have been sitting at home on Mondays since 2021, has anyone outside Igbo land intervened.
“The #ENDSARS# that happened in Lagos was later blamed on Igbos; so, this time around let other tribes react,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Anthony Ekwueme, a businessman, said that Ndigbo have been ostracised and therefore there is no reason to join any nationwide protest.
“Even if we join protest, it will not make our voice heard, rather they will blame us for the protest and other tribes will laugh at us,” he said.
In a related development, a trader, Mrs Ngozi Okeke, said she had no strength to protest because she was hungry and tired.
Okeke said she did not participate because she never believed the present administration of Bola Tinubu would change anything.
“I never believed anything good will happen under this government; so, protest is a waste of time and energy.
“We voted for someone we believe can change Nigeria but because he is an Igbo man, they refused to give him, let them protest nothing will change,” she said.
Meanwhile, as the protest goes into day three Enugu and other parts of the state have remained peaceful and calm with residents going about their businesses unperturbed.
Ikengaonline reports that even the security agencies that were stationed in strategic locations have disappeared but movements and businesses have remained at very low ebb.
